Hi
I am about to look at a house on Weakland Close. It is classed as Birley I think although I have also seen it listed at Hackenthorpe.

Firstly - does anyone have any idea what the Weaklands area is like, ie. youths, trouble, house prices etc etc

Secondly - I saw a post from last year that said the Weaklands estate is going to be demolished in the next 5 years - has anyone heard about this and is it true??

Thanks in advance for your help!
Sarah

I'm on the Weaklands estate - just up the road from the Close. If you are buying, I'm sure you're aware that it's a council estate? It's not too bad, but I've a funny feeling things will deteriorate rapidly as the houses are vacated and get boarded up. There are one or two on most of the roads, and it's suprising how much rougher they make the estate look.

Many of the houses at the bottom of Weaklands Close have been bought, so it's a nice little cul-de-sac (as nice as you can get on a Finnegans estate).

The estate in general is far better than Newstead/Dyke Vale estates of the same design.

And as far as I'm aware, yes, I think they're due to be demolished within five years.

Hi Ant

Thanks for the reply.
I have spoken to Sheffield council and apparently the nearest house to be demolished will only be 8 houses away from the one I'm looking at.

I know what you mean about the area looking bad when the houses are boarded up but do you think in the long term it will improve the area and make the house prices increase?

It's a really nice house but I must admit I am wary.
Are the finnegans houses OK or are they high maintenance with the flat roofs etc?

Is yours a finnegan house? If so, how have you found it?

Would you advise against buying round there at the moment?

Thanks again
Sarah

As soon as a house is boarded up, the kids strip it of everything in the early hours. You'll drive past some well-maintained houses with cutesy gardens and find a vacant house with no fence, showing an overgrown back garden and a concrete square from where the shed has been nicked. Not nice.

Mine is a Finnegan. They tend to be good on heating costs. All my neighbours have bought, and none of us have anything bad to say concerning maintenance. But bear in mind these houses were only meant to last for a few years, and they've been standing for nearly forty.

Personally, I wouldn't consider buying a house on Weaklands given the future of the estate, unless the house I was looking at was priced very low.

The best advice that I can give you is to attend the next residents' meeting and chat to Those In The Know, and potential future neighbours.


- I have a friend living at the end of the close. Is the house facing the road and anywhere near the end of the cul-de-sac?